THE PRESENCE OF international film producers and actors in Barbados for the Barbados Independent Film Festival should give a big boost to the island’s cultural industries.
This view was expressed by the festival’s director Sir Trevor Carmichael during Wednesday night’s red carpet launch at the Barbados Museum’s new Wall Garden Theatre where local, regional and international film directors, producers and award-winning American actor Stephen Lang gathered for the inauguration of the event.
Over the next five days, 30 films selected from over 60 submissions will be shown at various venues around Barbados.
Sir Trevor suggested the films would “provide ways and means for Barbados to benefit and enhance its own diversity” while he said the presence of the international movie professionals would provide part of the stimulus that Barbados’ cultural industry requires.
“It will stimulate thought, action and policies which will contribute to enlightening and further enhancing our cultural industries” Sir Trevor said.
Trinidadian soca artiste, actor, record producer and songwriter Machel Montano, the first recipient of the Barbados Independent Film Festival Digicel Award For Artistic Excellence said young, talented Caribbean artistes were privileged to be exposed to “such greats” from the world of films in Barbados for the film festival.
Montano observed that the region’s film industry was in need of “some attention”, since he believed people in the Caribbean had an important story to tell the world about how they have managed to celebrate their differences.
“I think we have to tell Caribbean stories and see them on the silver screen” said the Trinidadian, whose film Bazodee, written by Barbadian Claire Ince, will be included in the list of short films being screened by the Barbados Independent Film Festival on Sunday.
Presenting Montano with his award, accomplished actor Lang said the young Trinidadian had the potential for as “stunning and creative” an acting career as he had enjoyed as a songwriter, producer and artiste.
“If you approach acting with the same joy, passion, commitment, heart, power, strength, rage, fury as you have already displayed in your art, you can’t go wrong,” Lang advised Montano. These are in fact some of the qualities the seasoned actor displays in his own award-winning film Beyond Glory, which kicked off the local film festival.
Wednesday night’s gala opening also marked the cinematic opening of the Walled Garden Theatre, a new performance facility built on the grounds of the Barbados Museum with corporate and private individual funding. (GC)
